A number of liquid compositions have been disclosed which are intended to clean glass surfaces, such as mirrors, window panes, automobile windshields, lenses, table tops and the like. These compositions are typically formulated as aqueous solutions of surfactants which can contain varying amounts of solvents such as alcohols and glycol ethers. The compositions are often adapted to be sprayed into a soiled glass surface, and the excess is then manually removed along with the soil by wiping with an absorbent cloth or towel.
Attempts to improve the performance of liquid glass cleaning compositions have led to the incorporation of water-dispersible or water-soluble polymeric materials therein. These compositions are intended to reduce streaking and promote uniform drying by depositing a thin polymeric film on the cleaned glass. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,539,145; 4,343,725; and 3,939,090 disclose the use of aqueous glass cleaners which incorporate polyoxyethylene glycols, polyvinyl alcohols and olefin-maleic anhydride copolymers, respectively. However, the use of such film-forming polymers can unduly increase the friction between the applicator sheet and the glass, thus increasing the work required to accomplish the cleaning task. Furthermore, the use of certain polymers can lead to the excessive accumulation of light-distorting, cloudy or dust-collecting films.
Absorbent sheet materials which are pre-impregnated with liquid cleaning compositions and which are intended to be applied directly to the glass surface have been disclosed. For example, see Barby et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,704), which discloses an aqueous composition including a nonionic surfactant and a neutralized, partially-esterified resin copolymer. However, compositions formulated to be effective as two-step glass cleaning and compositions designed to accomplish the cleaning and drying steps in one operation are generally not interchangeable. Attempts to clean and dry glass in a single operation can often result in a glass surface which is streaky or cloudy due to the non-uniform application of the composition and the uneven drying of the film which remains on the glass.
Thus, a need exists for a liquid glass cleaning composition which can be readily applied to and removed from a soiled glass surface to leave the surface clean and free of streaking and cloudiness. A further need exists for a liquid glass cleaning composition which is effective to clean and dry soiled glass without streaking in a single operation.